With the Portrait Light feature on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, Google can change the face lighting for selfies and portrait photos. In this quick tutorial I explain how it works.
Portrait Light is a Google Photos feature available on all Pixel smartphones. For your portraits, with or without bokeh, you can artificially modify the exposure of the face. Basically, you can artificially place the light source anywhere in the image and manually adjust its angle to achieve the lighting that best suits your face.
To enable Portrait Light on Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro:
- Go to Google Photos
- Choose a portrait photo or a photo with a clearly visible face in the foreground
- press edit
- In the carousel at the bottom of the screen, select tool
- press Portrait lighting
I recommend watching this video to see how exposure can change the shape of a face in a portrait photo. The phrase “show yourself in the most beautiful light” has its full meaning.
It is important that the photo contains a distinct face. Preferably a portrait with only one person looking directly at the camera. But it can also be used with two people, or if you’re looking sideways at the camera. In any case, if your photos are not compatible, the feature will not show up.
What do you think of Google’s Portrait Light feature?